Bloom and Glow

Raise your hand if, at some point in your crafting career, you’ve made an unfortunate decision involving fake flowers. (All of our hands should be raised.)

While it can be easy to head down a slippery slope of less-than-lovely when it comes to faux flowers, this project will have you steering clear of that pitfall. Silk flowers dipped in plaster make a surprisingly elegant display when adorned with tealights. This project is perfect for a light and refreshing summer centerpiece that won’t break the bank or cut into too much pool time.

Steps:

1. Select large, light-colored silk flowers from a craft store. The price range of silk flowers varies, but the less expensive variety will work just as well as something more expensive in this case. Just be sure that the color is light and the petals are fairly large.

2. Prep the flowers by cutting off the stems all the way up to the base of the petals with wire cutters. Leaving too much of the stem attached will make it difficult for the flower to lay flat as a candle holder.

3. Prepare a surface for the flowers to dry on after being dipped. A sheet of wax paper on top of a large, hard surface works well.

Note: It’s never a bad idea to cover the entire surface with a tarp or newspaper first.

4. Mix the plaster in a large bowl or bucket according to the instructions on the box. Only mix enough to coat three to four flowers at a time, as the plaster will harden quickly (within six to eight minutes) and become difficult to work with.

5. Dip a flower into the plaster, moving it around until it is fully coated. Lay flat on the drying surface and arrange the petals in the desired fashion.

6. Before the plaster hardens, use a tealight holder to impress the shape of a tealight into the center of the flower. This can be a little tricky, but letting the plaster harden just slightly around the holder before loosening it and smoothing out the shape works well.

7. Repeat the process until all of the flowers have been coated in plaster. Allow to dry fully (three to four hours) before placing tealights in the holders